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Abstract
For the vast majority of the ca. 9,000 Zuni their reservation in the American Southwest continues to be the focus and unchangeable center of their lives. The population refrains from emigration despite a relatively high unemployment rate on the reservation. Apart from its significance as the economic base, the area bears special importance to the Zuni. It is perceived as home where a closely knit network of family and clan supports the individual, and familiar values, often clashing with those of the Anglo-American society, are esteemed. Furthermore the reservation is the only place where the specific culture can be protected and practiced appropriately. Especially sacred traditions account for the Zuni's close connection to their territory. For centuries the Zuni's cultural attachments to their lands have been persistent and in connection with spiritual elements provide a decisive factor in individual as well as political decisions.
Despite glittering casinos, supermarkets, pick-up trucks, trailer homes, satellite dishes, and all the other influences of
the dominant Euro-American mainstream society which can be seen everywhere in the American Indian Pueblos of the Southwest,
everyday life continues to be strongly characterized by specific Pueblo values, standards of behavior and ideals which are
not necessarily in line with those of their Euro-American environment—and sometimes stand in sharp contrast to them. The juxtaposition
of poverty and success raises many questions about the relationship between culture, place and economy, and the prospects
for sustainable futures in American Indian communities of the Southwest. This paper considers the ways in which social and
cultural values in Zuni and Laguna Pueblos influence economic behavior of individuals and community institutions and the implications
for governance and development in the region.
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